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Last Saturday saw the 2nd Annual GnarBQ at Gnarly Barley Brewing, and along with that, the release of their newest beer, Imperial Korova Milk Porter. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the event, but I did get a bottle of it (thanks, Chuck P!). This is how Gnarly Barley describes Imperial Korova:

This is an Imperial version of our Baltic Oatmeal Milk Porter. This beer is Cold fermented in order to allow the malts to shine. You can expect to taste sweet notes of chocolate and coffee with a slight hint of alcohol on the finish.

The bottles were bottle conditioned, and should age well. The beer pours a very dark brown to black, with very little head. The first thing I got from the aroma was dark chocolate, and the taste followed. There’s little to no hop presence in either the aroma or flavor, so the big malt bill shines. As it warms, I get some coffee flavors, but the dark chocolate is still dominant. The finish is easy with no bitterness coming through at all. Mouthfeel is medium, and while you can perceive a little alcohol on the tongue, it is easy to drink for a 9% ABV beer. I feel that it was slightly undercarbonated, but fortunately this is a style that can benefit from that, or rather, doesn’t require a lot of carbonation to be a good beer. This is definitely a porter, as it doesn’t ever venture into stout territory with any roasted notes or chewy mouthfeel. All in all, a really well done beer.

If you were like me and missed the release at the brewery, you’ll soon be able to pick up bottles or try it on draft. Starting in early November, a limited bottle and keg release in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and the Northshore will take place. You can also try it on tap and grab a bottle directly from the brewery if you’re in the area.